Signaling device



R. M. HOPKINS. SIGNALING DEVICE- APPLICATION FI LED IAN- 211 1911.

1,387,399. m Aug. 9,1921.

I 1mm? WITNESS j Wm M BY WM TM 7 4F- M A TTORNEY p mans signal and fire alarm box.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS, OF NEW YORK,,N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN DISTRICT TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW" JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SIGNALING nnvrcn,

Patented Au 9, 1921.

Application filed January 27, 1917. Serial No. 144,953.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. HoPKINs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in signaling devices, and particularly means 'for making prominent a distinctive signal transmitted over a circuit normally occupied with signals of another class. My invention further comprises means whereby, by means of relays of approximately normal type, and controlled one by another in a species of series relation, the operation of afinal signalgiving device may be deferred as desired and may be made dependent upon the elapse of such time-interval as desired.

The object of my invention is to defer, by the action of simple andreliable means, the. operation of asignal-giving device through suchtime-interval as desired, and to make the operation of such signal-giving device dependent upon thecelapse of such time-interval as desired; also to. provide simple means for making prominent adistinctive signaltransmitted over. a circuit normally occupied with signals of another class.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying draw.- ings, which illustrate diagrammatically one arrangement of apparatus embodying my invention. In said drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the application of my-invention to a typical com bined watchmans signal and fire alarm sys tem. V

Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary diagrammatic elevation of a characteristic break wheel and contact pen mechanism of a combined watch- Fig. 3shows a longitudinal Qvertical section of the magnet of a short circuited core relay such as hereinafter referred to. i

It is now commonto combine watchmens signal and fire alarm systems, the same transmitters (commonly called signal boxes) and the same circuit being employed for both classes of signals; Commonly, the said signal boxes are arranged to sendnumerical signals, each such, signal distinctive of the particular box from which'it is sent; and

' nal.

"commonly the watchmans signal consists of a single round of a box number, whereas the fire signal consists of a plurality of rapidly-succeeding rounds of suchcsig- The watchmans signal may be further distinguished from the fire signal by having associated with the box number a further signal, such 'for example as a long dash either precedingor following the box number, or the Morse letter F (dot, dash, dot) preceding 01' following the box number, or preceding or following one or more rounds of the box number when the fire signal (as e distinguished from the watchmans signal) consists of a greater number of rounds of the box number than does the watohmans signal. Both the watohmens signals and the fire signals are commonlyreceived on an ordinary telegraph register, which imprints, im-' presses, or perforates the signals received on a paper tape or other record'surface. One object of the present invention is to cause the fire signals to operate some. distinctive signaliving device (such as a loud bell, or a lamp other than, or in addition to, the register or other instrument upon which the watchmens signals are normally received. 7

While my invention is particularly applicable to combined watchmen and fire alarm signal systems, wherein signals for one". class of service (fire signals,for example) are distinguished from signals for another class of servicej(watchmens signals, for example) by a distinguishing signal containing or consistingof a dash longer than those occurring in the boxnumber, yet my invention is obviously adaptable to 'anduseful in connection with various other types of apparatus and systems; and therefore it is to be understood that in illustrating and describing my invention in connection with a combined watchman and fire alarm system, I do not in any way limit my invention to usein connection with such a system.

In Fig. 1, 1 designates a signal box circuit, shown fragmentarily only, and containing a plurality of signal boxes 2, a battery or other source of current supply3, and acentral-station relay 4, which latter may be a j relay of the ordinary type, arranged to repeat signals transmitted through circuit 1 into a circuit 5 containing a battery or other source of current supply 6 and an ordinary telegraph register 7 by which latter instru- 3 ment the signals received are recorded. The signal boxes 2 are to be understood to be boxes which, when operated for watchmens signals, transmit the number of the box one or more times; and which, when operated for fire signals, transmit, in addition to the box.

and the front contact stop of the relay is also connected to circuit 5, the armature of relay 8 belng connected to a conductor 10 leading to the magnet of relay 9, and: thence to circuit 5. The magnets of relays 8 and 9 are preferably shunted by resistance 11. The armature and front contact stop of relay 9 control a circuit 13 containing a battery or other source of current supply, 14, and a bell or other distinctive signal device, 15.

It is to be understood that relays 8 and 9 are together so slow acting that circuit 13 will not be closed during. the dots of the signals of the boxes 2, but that such circuit 13. will be closed upon transmission of a much longer impulse-for example, a dash.

It is of course true that difierent relays of the ordinary type may be adjusted to make contact with signals of one length, but not to make contact with signals of less length; and some types of relays are less sensitive than other types; further, slow acting relays-have been produced by weighting the armature, or by attaching a dashpot or other retarding device to the armature, or by connecting a fan train to the armature. But dashpots, fan trains and other mechanical retarding devices are objectionable, particularly in the case of fire-signal relays,-

which should have as few mechanical com' plications as possible; and ordinary slowacting telegraph relays not provided with dash-pots, or fan trains, or like mechanical retarding devices, are not sufficiently slowacting, and at the same time sufliciently positive in action, for my purpose; and furthermore do not have, at least to a sufficient extent, the hereinafter described quality of compensating for different speeds of signa boxes. v

I have found that a relay the core of which is. surrounded by a tube of highconductivity metal, may be slow-acting to. a surprisingv degree, and yet is very positive in action. Such a relay is .shown'in Fig. 3, where 16 designatesthe core proper, of highly magnetizable metal (usually soft. iron), 17 designates the surroundof magnetization in the core, that considerable time elapses before full magnetization to, or approaching, saturation, is reached. Sucharelay, properly constructed, maybe relied upon to occupy one-quarter second or more in attracting its armature sufficiently toclose contact, without an unduly long travel of the armature, and with positive and certain response of the armature, and firm contact when the front stop is reached. Similarly, the movement of the armature from its front stop to its rear stop is greatly retarded, as compared with the action of an ordinary relay. A number of such relays, connected in series or cascade, as are relays 8 and 9 of Fig. 1, maybe arranged to give any desired. delayed action,,th e number of relays so employed being dependent upon the period of delayed action. desiredp.

Owing to the considerable delay obtained by the combinedv operation of slow-acting.

relays 8 and 9, the contacts ofrelay 9. do not respond to short'impulses, such. as occur during the transmission of the: impulses of the box number but do respond to the dash of the Morse letter F, so: operating the signal device '15."

It is to be noted that relays 8 and 9 are partially shortcircuited by a non-inductive resistance 11. l

The purpose of this resistancell is topermit the current value to rise quickly to that necessary for operating: register 7., also to shunt out a portion; ofthe currentpassing through relay 8iso as to slow down theaction of this relay 1 in attracting its armature. When the contact of relay 8 is completed the combined resistance of-the magnet of relay 8, and the non-inductive resistance 11 then places a shunt of a low resistance across the terminals ofthe magnet of relay 9', which slows down-the. action of that relay in at tracting its armature; thereby relay 9 is prevented from closing its contacts when short impulses pass through its magnet, while when along impulse, such as that of thedash of the Morse letter F, passes through such magnet of relay 9, thecontacts ofthe relay are closed. In other words, short impulses do. not afford a sufiicient time for themagnetization of the magnets of relays 8 and. 9' to rise to. such ,value that, thecontacts' of relay 9 are. closed; but a dash, such as that of the Morse letter F, does afforda sufficient time for rise of magnetization in magnet of. relay 9 to the point where the contacts of that relay will close.

Owing to various circumstances, the retarding efi'ect of the shortcircuited corevof the magnets of these relays 8 and 9, is more prominent in the case of movement of the armature away from the core, than in the case of movement of the armature toward the core.

In Fig. 2, 21 designates the toothed break wheel, and 22 a contact pen adapted to be raised from contact member 23 by engagement of 22 by the teeth of the break wheel.

This case is a continuation in part of my prior application which eventuated' in Pat ent No. 1,308,772.

What I claim is:

1. In a signaling system, the combination of a circuit including one or more signal transmitters, of a relay controlled by said circuit, a second circuit comprising a register and a plurality of slow-acting relays connected in parallel, the circuit of one of said relays being closed through the front con tact of the other relay.

2. In a signaling system, the combination of a circuit including one or more signal transmitters, of a relay controlled by said circuit, a second circuit comprising a regis-' ter, a relay. having resistance shunt across its terminals, and a slow-acting relay in shunt to said first-named relay and having its circuit closed through the front contact of the latter.

3. In a signaling system as set forth in claim 1, a third circuit including a signaling device and controlled by the armature of the said controlled relay.

4:. In a signaling system, as set forth in claim 2, a third circuit including a signaling device and controlled by said slow-acting relay.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS.

' Witnesses:

C. C. JOHNSON, A. F. MoCLEAN. 

